Rating: B+
Any time a new business comes powering into – and dynamically changing – a market to the degree that the Gamma-led Mitsugoshi has, a big backlash from established companies can be expected. That’s exactly what the predominant storyline of episode 24 involves: other economic powers resorting to underhanded means to try to clip Mitsugoshi’s influence. Of course, they don’t know that Mitsugoshi is actually the business front funding Shadow Garden, and so it has powerful protectors well-capable of thwarting any violent method, but I appreciate that the storytelling is at least trying fills in a big logical gap in the setting. Nothing happens in a vacuum, after all, as much as Shadow might sometimes wish that to be the case.
Another interesting facet of this is Cid’s discovery that the Numbered have, once again, been getting even more creative with their approach than he ever anticipated. They have also essentially created a bank and are now printing money, which was originally used as “store dollars” but is now starting to expand outside of the store in usage. This is, of course, yet another case of the girls taking random things that Cid once said as gospel. The nine-tailed fox lady also gets involved with this in a discussion about a counterfeiting scheme that could be used to deal with a competitor who’s trying to do the same thing as Mitsugoshi, though Cid is also perfectly fine with destroying everything and rebuilding it from scratch under his new passion: the “secret agent” John Smith. Don’t think that would go over well with his ladies, though his pressing of the nine-tailed fox seems to have left him with an alternate approach. Since the nine-tailed fox interpreted it as her being tested, that’s just business as usual for the franchise.
The other part of the episode is Delta finally getting a turn at the forefront. To this point, this therianthrope she’s always been a bit player in the story: the most potent front-line attacker amongst the Shadow Garden elite (possibly second only to Shadow himself), but also too simple-minded to be relied on for any complex planning or tactical thinking, to the point that the rest of the Numbered didn’t think anything of leaving her behind in the Holy City for much of the second half of the first season. That simple-mindedness (and the propensity to use her for fan service shots) hasn’t changed as she reappears and goes hunting with Cid. That scene offers the first real insight into her background: her original name was Sara, and she was one of the (apparently many) children of a therianthrope chieftain before being hunted down for becoming a Possessed. Not clear how much her callousness over offing her brother is just her vs. standard therianthrope thinking, but it certainly gives us a better idea about where she’s coming from.
Overall, this provides an interesting new angle on the maintenance and expansion of Shadow Garden’s efforts, while also producing a new, grand foe for Shadow (er, John Smith) to face off against. In other words, Cid gets to act out another of his delusions with relish, and as the series has proven so far, that’s rarely a bad thing.
USA Anime 